Mark Millan

BORN: October 1979JOINED THE DV STAFF: June 2008 / March 2020 HOMETOWN: Melbourne, Australia NOW LIVING IN: Bayside, Melbourne, Australia SPOUSE / KIDS?: No / noFAVORITE ARTIST: Bob DylanOTHER ARTISTS I LIKE: Tina Turner, Cheap Trick, Blondie, Renee Geyer, The Rolling Stones, Prince, Grace Jones, Cher, Lady Gaga, Europe, David Bowie, Madonna, Nelly, Whitesnake, Robert Plant, Sade, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Mary J Blige, Patti Smith, The Police/Sting, Alice Cooper. BEER: Just the occasional wine and vodka these days.OTHER HOBBIES: Gigs, music, beach, reading too many books, movies, gym, chilling, AFL.PERSONAL MOTTO: “Here’s to feeling good, all the time.” – Cosmo Kramer.I WRITE MUSIC REVIEWS BECAUSE: ...I love albums and can’t imagine purchasing music any other way. It’s also not cool to bore my friends with all of this...
9 Posts
15 Apr

Mark Millan’s 101 Favourite Songs

Mark MillanFeature
I tried hard to keep this to 101 songs but found myself unable to cut any more from my shortlist of over 150. Some of these songs mean a great deal to me and some mean nothing other than I just love to hear them. I did employ the rule of one song per artist in an effort to give a broader overview of my tastes – I could easily have filled this list with Dylan, Stones and Beatles songs. I also omitted a lot of more recent songs (from say the last ten years) as I haven’t lived with…
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19 Dec

2013: Mark’s Top 10

Mark MillanBest Of
 10. Alison Moyet - The Minutes A fantastic blend of electro-pop and soulful vocals. Highlights: “Apple Kisses,” “Changeling,” “Filigree,” “Remind Yourself.”9. Donna Summer - Love To Love You Donna The first posthumous release for the late disco queen is all killer and no filler.  Essentially it is a remix album, but these songs have been more reinvented than simply remixed, such is the quality of work carried out here. Giorgio Moroder came out of semi-retirement to join the fun and all of the selected DJs/producers have far exceeded my humble expectations, so much so that it sounds like a whole…
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16 Dec

2012: Top 10

Mark MillanBest Of
 10. Europe – Bag Of Bones Swedish rock stalwarts Europe released their ninth studio album this year, and for fans of the band (myself included), it couldn’t have been better.  Their previous set Last Look At Eden was a very solid record that found the band sounding as good as they ever had.  With Bag Of Bones, however, they have stepped it up a notch and managed to produce what is possibly their best ever album.  Front man Joey Tempest still has the power in his pipes to handle every high note required here with ease, and there are plenty…
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16 Dec

2011: Top Ten

Mark MillanBest Of
  10. Adele -- 21 UK singer Adele released her second album in January this year, and to my delight, it bettered her stunning debut (2008’s 19) by a fair margin.  21 is an edgy and powerful statement and the quality of the material was greatly enhanced by Adele’s vocals, which boasted considerable power and a very flexible range.  “Rumour Has It,” “Turning Tables,” and “Set Fire To The Rain” are definite standouts among this stellar collection of songs.  21 has been nominated for Album Of The Year at the 2012 Grammy Awards and would be a very worthy winner indeed. …
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20 Dec

2010: Top 10

Mark MillanBest Of
10.  Willie Nelson - Country Music Country Music finds the great Willie Nelson still at the top of his game, weaving his way through these starkly beautiful tracks.9.  Phil Collins - Going BackI still can’t quite get over just how good this thing turned out.  This disc contains some of the most vibrant and uplifting music I have heard all year.8.  Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted FantasyJust read Melanie Love’s glowing review of this one, which pretty much sums up exactly how I feel about this album; I’d rate it even higher, which still irks me, because the…
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19 Dec

2009: Top 10

Mark MillanBest Of
10.  Sonic Boom – KISS One of the best surprises of 2009 for me was the announcement early in the year that KISS was working on a new album. They hadn’t released an album of new material since the putrid Psycho Circus over a decade ago. The memory of that disc, however, was blown away after just the opening track of Sonic Boom, an instant KISS classic, “Modern Day Delilah.” More ballsy rockers follow with “Never Enough,” “Danger Us,” and “I’m An Animal” being among the best of them. A great return to form from possibly the best KISS lineup…
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30 Aug

Marianne Faithfull Retrospective

Mark MillanAnnouncement
  In 1964 Marianne Faithfull made a rather innocuous decision that would forever change the course of her life.  Marianne accepted an invitation to a swanky shindig in London one night and very soon after arriving she’d attracted the attentions of one Andrew Loog-Oldham who wanted to know if the pretty young lass could sing.  Andrew was the manager of The Rolling Stones and after hearing the young Faithfull sing he wasted no time in having her singed to the Decca label.  The first few years of Faithfull’s career were pretty tame to say the least.  She was the darling…
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19 Dec

2008: The View From Down Under

Mark MillanBest Of
 10.  Sneaky Sound System -- 2The Aussie dance-pop trio had a big job ahead of themselves in following up a mega-selling debut, but they pulled it off with ease.  An explosion of finely-crafted pop songs, pumping bass/electronica arrangements, and Miss Connie’s powerful vocals all make for the year’s best pop release.9.  Whitesnake -- Good To Be BadYou either love or hate the Snake, and I really do love them.  Coverdale and his current line-up turned out a loud, heavy, and bombastic assault on the senses.  Overblown at times, it’s still classic Whitesnake and easily the band’s best album since 1987.8.…
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09 Dec

The Angry Young Man Down Under: Billy Joel Live in Melbourne

Mark MillanFeature
Two years ago, Billy Joel brought his first solo tour to Australia after almost a decade.  The shows sold out fast, real fast, and a great time was had by all. He is currently back Down Under with pretty much the same show, the only difference being that he has dropped some later songs in favor of his earlier works.  After taking our seats side-on to the stage (great view), we spent a little time talking about what to expect and what surprises BJ might have in store for us.  The arena (capacity 16,000) was filling quickly as show time…
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